Project Clean Water, the non-profit charity foundation founded by Jewel in 1997, has partnered with the Voss Foundation and Virgin Unite in support of the Give A Drop campaign. To date, Project Clean Water has helped more than 30 communities overcome their individual drinking water problems in 13 different countries, on five different continents. The Voss Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing access to pure, clean drinking water to sub-Saharan African communities.
The new partnership will support water projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Their first venture is to help provide water to the village of Pel in Dogon, Mali. The Dogon civilization is one of the most ancient in Africa and the survival of this unique culture is being threatened by global changes in the environment.
“I’m very excited that Project Clean Water has formed a partnership with the Voss Foundation and Virgin Unite to help people in need,” said Jewel. “When I was homeless, I became ill and couldn’t afford to buy the bottled water I needed for my sick kidneys. I realized then that it was hard to get clean drinking water in the United States, and discovered it was a huge problem globally.”
“The Voss Foundation is thrilled to have the support of Jewel, Project Clean Water, and Virgin Unite,” said Kara Gerson, Voss Foundation’s Executive Director. “Together we will be able to bring clean drinking water and all the associated health and societal benefits to so many more African communities. Access to clean water is literally vital to a productive and meaningful life.”
The project in Pel, Mali will rehabilitate five boreholes, transforming them into modern, efficient, secure hygienic wells. Training sessions will be held for the entire village on the techniques of hygiene, treatment of water, and maintenance and management of wells. In addition, a management committee will take responsibility for each well and a local study will be conducted to ensure responsible water use and sustainability. The project works closely with a remarkable local women's cooperative that raises money through self-sustained activities to form its own micro-financing savings-and-loan organization. With the new, rehabilitated wells, these women will be able to spend less time looking for clean water, and now can immeasurably improve their own and their families’ lives.
Pel will be the first of many projects in this joint endeavor. With the kick-off of the Malian village’s well-rehabilitation, the three organizations will look to replicate its success and scale up to address the over 1 billion people affected by the global water crisis.